Washing machine



J. S. PUWER.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1921.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

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I. s. POWER.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1921.

1,436,679., Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

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J. S. POWER.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR; 24. 1921.

13679., Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

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BY M 3f //QM ATTORNEY/3 rasata New. as, iaaa i narran snare Leidt@ JOSEPH S. POWER, F DAYTON, OHQO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE DAVIS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

WASHING MACHINE. i

Application led March 24, 1921.

To all whfom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. POWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at A Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Ma- Y chines, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. n

My invention relates to washing machines, and in particular to a driving mechanism for washing machines. It will be understood, however, that the application of my mechanism is broader than simply that of o-perating Washing machines and that it is applicable to all classes of machinery.

The object of my invention is to provide a driving mechanism to reciprocate any given part during a portion of the time of its operation and to bring that part to rest without stopping the driving shaft, It is a further object of my invention to provide means 'for bringing the driven member from its operative -to its inoperative position, unlocking it from its operative position and locking it in its inoperative position. By inoperative position, l mean that the driven member is brought toa substantial rest, althou h there may be a slight movement which ger practical purposes, such yas in washing machine constructions,

will be so slight as not to be of any con-- se uence. y t is a further object lthat when the'tub is in this position of substantial rest it is brought to a predetermined and substan- 'tially locked position thus eliminating the necessity of the operator moving the tub,

which is frequently heavy with they water and clothes, to a horizontal position where `it can be suitably attended to and drained. It isl my object to eliminate this feature which is a present disadvantage of operating mechanisms now known in the art for this purpose.

llt is a further object of my invention to provide a means of throwing out of operative position the unlocking mechanism after it has once unlocked and `permitted of the locking of the mechanism in any position.

lt. is a further object of my invention to provide, in combination with this driving mechanism, a flexible driving rod or con- Serial No. 455,271.

ber is brought to a position of substantial rest, thus taking up whatever movement there may. be without communicating it to the tub or other part which is being ultimately driven by this mechanism.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig 1, is a plan view of the mechanism with a portion of the parts cut away and shown in section;

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the driving portion of the mechanism in its neutral or inoperative position;

' F'g. 3, is a section of the mechanism for locking and unlocking the driving mechanism when' it is in its position to operate the driven member;

Fig. 4:, is a section of the driving mechanism when in a position of substantial rest with the driven member, at the time when the centers of the driving member and the point of connection of the driven member substantially coincide;

Fig. 5, is a side yelevation of a washing machine with this mechanism applied to it.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a drive shaft that has a square head 2 for insertion in a square aperture 3 of the crank member 4. This crank member is pivoted on the pivot 5 to the plate 6. The point of pivoting is centrally located on 6. Eccentrically located on the lower face of 6 at 7 is a ball 8 of a ball and socket connection 9 which constitutes one end ofthe flexible connecting link or connecting rod 10. This crank member a has a locking pin 11 which is normally held in engagement with an aperture 12 or an aperture 13 by a spring 14 carried in a housing 15 of the crank member d.

The up er endof 11 has a head 16 and a collar 1 which is engaged by the bifurcated free end 18 of the Yunlocking member 19. The lower end of 11 has a nose 20 that is tapered to engage with the tapering aperture 12 or 13. 19 is fastened to a shaft 21 that is actuated by a handle 22. This handle has a shoulder 23 on one side thereof in the nature of a cam on either face of which the pawl 24 engages by reason of the pressure of the spring 25 carried in the housing 26 that is stationary. The object of having this locking mechanism is to maintain the arm 19 in either its inoperative or operativev position as will be hereinafter described.

Referring to the connecting rod 10, it will be observed that it is composed of a ball and socket connection which terminatesin a threaded head 27 about which is wound the spring 28 in the grooves 29 within the casing 30 that is fastened by the screws 31 to 10. This serves to guide thespring and to re- Itain the spring within the grooves 29 of the threaded head 27. This casing 30 slides upon the cylindrical member 32 which constitutes the other end of the conecting rod. This member 32 also has a threaded head 33 with grooves 34 in which the spring 28 is Wound. This end 32 has a cup-shaped bearing member 35, inthe bottom of which is a wooden bearing 36 enga ing with the head of the ball 37. Surroun ing the lower surface of the ballis the collar 38 that isl threaded at 39 into the cup-shaped member and maintains the ball in position in engagement with the wood 36. This. permits of an adjustable bearing to take up any wear. The adjustment is fixed by the` set screw 40. The ball 37 is attached to any member to be i driven as 41 which may be a washing machine tub or an other smilar mechanism. The application of this driving mechanism to an `actual machine will be seenin Figure 5. 42 is a frame vof the washing machine in which is suspended a tub 43 carrying braces 41 which constitute part of the tub. The tub is designed to be reciproc'ated about the pivotal -point 44. The driving shaft 1 is actuated by a suitable motor 45.

. The direction. of motion is changed by the Y gear shift 46 operated by the handle 47.

I Method of operation. When the power is turned'on to rotate the 'driving shaft 1 it rotates about its axis the crankm'ember 4. If the parts are in the position shown vin Figure 1 and Figure 3, the point of connection of theI connecting rod to the late which is bein driven by the crank mem er will be oifset rom the center of theM driving shaft -and as the crank is thus formed the connecting rod will be reciprocated asits point of connection through the ball and socket 8 and 9 follows in the ,secure by Letters Patent, is

presses the spring 14. As the crank'member 4 and the driving shaft 1 continue to rotate the engagement of the head 20 with the aperture 12 having been broken, the p late 6 will remain stationary together with the driven connecting rod 'until the head 20 drops into the aperture 13. When this occurs the head 18 will be in the position shown in dotted lines at the left hand in Figure 1. As the shaft 1 continues to rotate with the crank member 4, the engagement having been made with the plate 6 by 11 falling into 13 through the pressure of the spring 14, the plate 6 will rotate until the head 16 strikes the right hand side of the bifurcated head 18 and moves it into the full line position shown in Figure 1 in which position it will remain, being locked in that Iposition by the pawl 24.

When this arrangement of the parts has been secured by 11 being thrust into 13 by the spring 14, it will be found that the parts have assumed the position shown in Figure 4, where the ball is substantially beneath the driving shaft so that the rotation of that shaft will impart a very slight movement,

if any, to the connecting rod. It will be understood that any such movement will be absorbed by the flexible connection which constitutes this connecting rod as the casing 30 can move with'respect to-32 when the spring 28 is compressed or expanded to take up the variations `in thrust. It will the position as shown in full lines in Figure 1 and as in Figure 3, the tub or other member connected to 41 will be reciprocated. The strains, shocks and stresses of this reciprocation, particularly that Iof picking up the initial load when starting, will beabsorbed by the connecting rod. This per- -be understood that when the parts are in mits of the employment of wooden bearings and the sulphur lining of the connecting rod with the4 minimum wear and tear upon the joints and connectionsand the shocks an strains incident thereto.

' It Awill be observedthatl there is a novel construction which permits of bringing the Vmechanism from full operation to neutral position, which permits of the absorption of stresses, strains and shocks,- and which permits of the elimination entirely of any clutch mechanism with its attendant complications and diiiiculties.

tion, what I claim as new and desire to nascere crank member connected thereto, a-driving disk mounted on said crank member, means on said .disk eccentrically thereof for the attachment of a driven member, a driven member, means on said drivingdisk and crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate the driven member and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness while the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, `and means for unlocking the crank member and disk.

2. In combination, a driving shaft, .a crank member connected thereto, a driving disk mounted on said crank member, means v on said disk eccentrically thereof for the attachment of a driven member, a driven member, means von said driving disk and crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate the driven member and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness while the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, means for unlocking the crank member ,and disk, and means for maintaining the unlocking means 1n its inoperative position.

3. ln combination, a driving shaft, a crank member connected thereto, a driving disk mounted on said crank member, means on said disk eccentrically thereofvfor the attachment of a driven member, a driven member, means on said driving disk and crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate the driven member and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness while the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, `means for unlocking the crank member and disk, and means for bringing the unlocking means into its operative position to eect the unlocking.

1a-In combination, a driving Shaft, a crank member connected thereto, a driving disk mounted on said crank member, means on said disk eccentrically thereof for the attachment vof a driven member, a driven member, means on said driving disk and crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate the driven member and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness while the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, means for unlocking the crank member and disk, means for bringing the unlocking means into its operative position to eii'ect the unlocking, and means for maintaining the unlocking mechanism in an inoperative position after it has enected the unlocking of the disk and crank member.

5. lin combination, a driving shaft, a crank member connectedthereto, a driving' disk mounted on said crank member, means on said disk eccentrically thereof for tbe attachment of a driven member, a driven member, means on said driving disk and crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate 'the driven mem ber and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness while the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, means for unlocking the crank member and disk, means for vbringing the unlocking means into its operative position to eifect the unlocking, means for maintaining the unlocking mechanism in an inoperative position after it has effected the unlocking of the disk and crank member, and means for movingthe unlocking member into its fixed inoperative position.

6.- lin combination, a driving shaft, a crank member mounted thereon, a disk member pivotally mounted on said crank, a driven member mounted on said disk, a plunger carried by said crank member adapted to'engage with apertures in said disk, whereby when the plunger is engaged with one of said apertures the point of connection of the driven member with the disk may be located substantially on the center of the driving shaft or eccentrically thereof as desired.

7. lin combination, a driving shaft, a crank member mounted thereon, a disk member pivotally mounted on said crank, a driven member mounted on said disk, a plunger carried by said crank member adapted to engage with apertures in said disk, means of efecting the unlocking of said disk and crank member, and means for efecting the locking of said members to one another, whereby when the plunger is en# -gaged with one of said apertures the point of connection of the driven member with the disk may be located substantially on the center of the driving shaft or eccentricall]T thereof as desired.

8. In combination, a driving shaft, a crank member mounted thereon havin an aperture on one side thereof, a pin a apted to travel in said aperture, resilient means in said aperture surrounding said pin to kee it in its outermost position, a head on sai pin, an unlocking arm having a bifurcated head for engaging with the head of the pin to lift it in said aperture, a shaft connected to said unlocking arm, a handle to operate said shaft, a cam on said handle, and a spring pressed pawl to engage with the cam for maintaining said handle in unlockf ing and inoperative positions; a disk pivoted to said crank member eccentrically of the center of the driving shaft, a driven member connected to said disk eccentrically of its point of connection to the crank member, said disk having apertures for receiving the locking-pin` to maintain the parts so that the center of connection of the driven member is the eccentric of the center of the driving member and so that the respective centers just mentioned substantlally coincide as desired, whereby vthe crank member for locking the several parts respectively to reciprocate the driven member and to maintain it in substantial inoperativeness While the remainder of the parts rotate continuously, means for unlocking the crank member and disk, and a tub con- 15 nected to the vfree end of the driven member, whereby when the members are in ltheir operative position the tub will be recipro- .1 cated and in their" inoperative position the osi- 20 tub will be returned to its horizontal tion, locked in said position and'only sllghtly actuated. l

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature. Y e

JOSEPH S. POWER. f 

